Terry Business Business Academy
Terry Business Academy: A crash course on the business major
By Chris Starrs (ABJ '82)
The Terry Business Academy is a highly selective, pre-collegiate program for high school students who demonstrate a strong interest in business and entrepreneurship. In its inaugural year, TBA attracted more than 20 Georgia high school students to campus this spring for an up-close-and-personal look at what the Terry College has to offer prospective business school majors.
Randy Groomes (BBA '92), Terry College's director of diversity relations and recruitment, says the weeklong program is designed to bring outstanding high school juniors and seniors to campus for a crash course in what the entire college experience — the Terry College, the University of Georgia, and the city of Athens — can mean to college students.
"The program gives students an intensive preview of all major business areas, such as accounting, finance, marketing and economics, as well as opportunities for leadership and presentations," says Groomes. "We also offer tips on how students can become more well-rounded — etiquette classes, golf lessons, a ropes course. There's also a team-building marketing exercise for an AT&T product rollout, which gives them real-world experience in collaborating with other students."
Kimberly Graham, curriculum director for TBA, says the program's success depends on the participation of Terry professors who donate their time and expertise to help visiting students visualize and understand what it means to major in business at UGA.
"The students were exposed to many of the top professors at Terry," says Graham, "and they gained a realistic picture of what classes entail for both undergraduate and graduate students at Terry."
Groomes notes says the Terry Business Academy also serves as a useful recruiting tool.
"We want to get to these exceptional students early and expose them to a great opportunity," he says. "Hopefully, when college decision time comes, they'll want to attend UGA."
Business academy week began on a Sunday, when 21 students arrived on campus and began getting to know one another through navigating UGA's ropes course. To be considered for the program, students must carry a minimum GPA of 3.7 (rising juniors) and 3.5 (rising seniors).
Subsequent days featured classes in accounting, economics, and finance, a lesson in business etiquette, a field trip to Atlanta to visit several companies — including a stop at Chick-fil-A headquarters — and an opportunity to try out their new-found etiquette skills during a luncheon at the prestigious One Ninety One Club. A highlight of that event was a keynote address by Milford McGuirt, a partner at KPMG.
"It was an amazing experience watching the transition the students made being immersed in business and seeing the lights go on as they began to understand how the wheels of private enterprise work," says Groomes. "We had the students attend three accounting classes, and on Friday they did a group exam. Accounting professor Andy Call really challenged them. For them to really begin to understand the nuts and bolts of business was fascinating to watch."
With all due respect to their accounting experience, perhaps the most demanding exercise the students participated in was dividing into teams to develop creative briefs for the introduction of a new product created by AT&T. The students met early in the week with Angela Wilkin, of AT&T's consumer marketing division, who offered the students a quick-but-comprehensive look at her philosophies on marketing and advertising. She then unveiled the new product, FamilyMap, which is designed to provide parents with peace of mind by enabling them to locate where family members are at all times from their wireless phone or PC. The students' task was to devise a marketing plan for the Family Map rollout.
Four student teams made their FamilyMap presentations on the final day of the business academy, gathering in a conference room at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education to make their pitches before a trio of judges.
"When we got the project idea from Angela Wilkin at AT&T, it was cool," says Sofia Jesani of Brookwood High School. "She told us everything she does and talked about marketing. We worked really hard on this project. We were up until like 1 in the morning finishing this. It was awesome."
"I loved the project," adds Taylor Jordan of Chamblee High School. "We got to bond, not only as a group but also as a team. We all worked really hard and put in 110 percent. I thought it's a great product and our project turned out really great. I really enjoyed working on it."
Students said that while the entire week was a memorable and eye-opening experience, the trip to Atlanta had the most impact.
"The day we went to Atlanta was a really good opportunity," says Alanna Uhde of North Oconee High School. "We got to see businesses as they operated. We went to Chick-fil-A and (recording studio) Fusebox. So we got to see things on opposite ends of the spectrum. People were able to choose the things they liked, whether it was marketing, business, sales, technology. It was good to see it all in action."
Others indicated they came to the Terry Business Academy interested in one aspect of business but left with new ideas.
"I've always had a knack for accounting," says Shawn Sturgill of Apalachee High School. "But this week I really enjoyed the finance section because I'm interested in international finance and seeing the aspects of what you need to be successful. It was interesting to see how all the different careers you can have by majoring in business."
Many of the 21 students who took part in the business academy left Athens with a determination to one day be Terry College students.
"I think we reached our goals," says Groomes. "These students are highly accomplished in their academics and several have very strong leadership skills, so they're going to be highly sought after. At the beginning of the week, some of them were saying they wanted to go to Harvard, but by the end of the week they saw all that the University of Georgia has to offer — and they saw the value of the degree versus the cost. As a result, several of them became more interested in UGA. I saw that transition, and I fully expect more than half of this group to come to the Terry College."
"This week prepared me in so many different ways," says Don Vickers of Hawkinsville High School. "We had to use the kind of creativity I never thought you'd need in business. If I decide to study business, I would most definitely come to UGA to do it. It's a great program they've got going on."
"I'm definitely coming here, if I get in," adds Jesani. "We talked to (Senior Associate Director of Admissions) Patrick Winter and he told us everything UGA is looking for. I would definitely recommend this program. I feel matured after this."
"I'm very attracted to the school," says Lauren Slavin of Riverwood High School. "I liked all the professors. I liked the school a lot. and the dorm experience was great. I would definitely recommend the Terry Business Academy to students interested in going into business, and I definitely feel like I'd be ahead of the game if I came to UGA."
Groomes points out that the Terry Business Academy would not have been possible without the generous support of donors such as Ernst & Young, Access Insurance, AT&T, KPMG, and McKesson.
"Individuals are also encouraged to support TBA," says Groomes. "It's a great investment in our next generation of business leaders."
Download the Terry Business Academy flyer (PDF | 2 MB)
Download the Terry Business Academy application (PDF | 155 KB)
